Formula 5: Brain Science Your Way to Batch System Writing

In theory, it seems counterintuitive that the prospect of writing a dozen different books on varied aspects of a single topic would feel more accessible and fun for me than writing one book with multiple sections. In practice Formula 5 gives my brain the novelty (squirrel!) of writing several different books (productivity), which hold my interest (focus), fuels my momentum (speed) by significantly reducing task switching (efficiency) because I’ve aggregated the batch of 5 by genre (non-fiction) and topic (writing). Formula 5 satisfies my need for novelty without distraction and allows me to remain motivated when engaged in long-form writing.

You Think I’m Nuts, Don’t You?
Formula 5 is much easier to get your head around if you view each batch as a single project with 5 components. Ever written a business proposal, research or position paper? Ever read one? It’s chunked in sections. Within each section there are subcomponents that require fleshing. Reframe writing projects in batches of five by reversing this model.

When I conceived of this idea to batch write books to align with my brain’s natural tendencies my singular focus was how to make writing more fun. I LOVE ideas, I love to play and I love to get stuff done. The core challenge that led to my discovery and development of Formula 5 was “How do I marry the orderly, structured executive function inherent to language with the chaos inherent with play/creativity?”

Through 5 years of experimentation, here’s my answer.